


Light

by ghostystarr



Series: Midnight-verse [5]
Category: The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Domestic Fluff, M/M, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Parenthood, Romance, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-28
Updated: 2014-12-28
Packaged: 2018-03-04 01:14:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2903921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostystarr/pseuds/ghostystarr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"He, the Ghost King, was standing in the middle of a Wal-Mart with his striped pajamas and bedhead, weighing two different brands of diapers in his hand." Solangelo.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Light

**Author's Note:**

> This was a quick request I answered on Tumblr, but I figured I might as well post it here, too!
> 
> Note: Nico and Will are 28-29 in this!

Nico glared at the two packages in his hands.  How in the hell had he gotten talked into _this?_   He, the Ghost King, was standing in the middle of a Wal-Mart with his striped pajamas and bedhead, weighing two different brands of diapers.  What was the difference?  Should he just go for the cheaper ones? But the other ones said, "nighttime protection."  That would have prevented this whole fiasco in the first place.

When was the last time he had even gotten more than four hours of sleep?  He couldn't remember what a good night's sleep felt like.  He hadn't been so exhausted since he had to lug a giant statue across the Atlantic via shadows.  At least, back then, he didn't have to look like a complete moron as he held back the urge to summon the skeletons he sensed just a few feet beneath him and overturn the shelves stuffed with diapers, formula, and baby food.

Will was the one that usually did the shopping.  He was the one that had read every parenting and nutrition book he could get his hands on.  Nico was absolutely clueless when it came to these sorts of things. Parenthood wasn't exactly his forte. But, he couldn't say that he didn't enjoy it, either.  In fact, he absolutely loved the way his life turned out, and that was something he didn't think he would ever be able to say.  The silver band around his left ring finger had been enough, but the daughter of Ares that had been blessed on them was more than either of them could have ever dreamed of.

 _Chiara Solace di Angelo._ His _daughter._   Nico could scarcely think of her name without splitting into a smile.

Nearly six months ago, Will had come home from work, the hospital at New Rome, bursting with nervous energy.  "Slow down!" Nico had chided.  "Start from the beginning.  What's this about a _baby?"_

"She just... _showed up!"_ Will had cried.  "In the hospital!  No one knows how she got there, but she got claimed almost as soon as we found her!  Ares daughter.  She's all alone, Nico.  We can't just let her be alone like that!"

"What are you asking, Will?" Nico had gaped.  "You're not... you're not seriously implying that... that _we_...?"

"I know it's a lot to ask."  Will had reached over and clasped onto Nico's hands with a tight grip and wide eyes.  "But, I wouldn't have even brought it up if I didn't think we weren't ready for this.  Nico, please, just come meet her."

Nico had and, as soon as he'd gazed into those wide pools of blue - so close to Will's - and at the wisps of black hair, fell in love.  How could he ever say no to those eyes?

However, Nico learnt quickly that taking care of babies was even more terrifying than he'd thought.  She cried for hours, changing diapers was something that Nico couldn't even trick Jules-Albert into helping with, and he nearly pulled his hair out every time she teetered to close to the edge of the couch or bumped her head.  He'd scoop her up, coo at her, and wait for Will to come home from work to give her a look-over.

Will would laugh, assure him that she was fine, and Nico just had to stop and watch for a while as Will played with her - their _daughter_ \- despite being tired from work.  Nico had pretty much become a stay-at-home-dad for the time being and, even though it was a lot of work, it was so worth it when he got to be a part of moments like that.

Nico worked his lips in thought as he looked between the two packages.  Chiara had woken them up at one in the morning in dire need of a diaper change.  Will had gone, only to return with a wailing baby and saying that they were out of diapers.  Nico groaned in despair. He'd meant to buy some earlier but it completely slipped his mind.

Which was how he found himself shadow-travelling to Wal-Mart in his pajamas.

"New dad?" a voice came from behind and Nico turned.  A woman with a cart stood behind him with an understanding smile on her face.  "I'd know that look of desperation anywhere.  My husband had it a lot when we first had our son."  She pointed to the package in his left hand.  "I'd go with the Pampers.  They're more absorbent."

Nico sighed and shoved the other brand back onto the shelf.  "Thanks.  I'm never going to let us run out again."

The woman laughed.  "How old?"

"Six months next week," Nico answered immediately.

"Be crawling soon.  Then you'll want to get those."  She gestured to another pack and Nico took care to remember the exact name and design of the logo. He seriously didn't want to have to do all of this again.

Nico nodded gratefully when the phone in his pocket buzzed.  Cursing, he grabbed it and looked at the very angry text message.  "There's Daddy, asking what's taking so long," he muttered before realizing what he let slip.  He was so used to talking to Chiara, who was too young that it didn't matter what he said.  He forgot himself, forgot that he wasn't surrounded by people as accepting as his friends and family.  He gaped up at the woman, fearful of her reaction, but she was only smiling warmly at him.

"Best not to keep him waiting, then," she said.  "Good luck."

"Thank you," he said, and he really meant it.  Quickly, he grabbed two more packs of diapers, scrambled to the cash registers, had a brief panic-attack when he couldn't find his mortal money at first, and shadow-travelled home as quickly as his legs could work.

He rushed to the nursery and found Will desperately trying to cheer up their sobbing infant, making ridiculous faces and using that tone of voice that always made Nico laugh even when he really didn't want to.  "I'm home," Nico said, heart skipping the way it always did when he said that phrase.

"Thank the gods." Will sighed.  "I was running out of jokes."

"Is that why you're crying, _bambina?_   Did Daddy make bad puns again?" Nico hummed in sympathy, lifting Chiara up and holding her carefully.  At once, the sobs stopped and she stared up at him with wide, blue eyes.

"Hey!" Will huffed, nudging Nico in retaliation before setting a hand on Nico's back and smiling in relief.  "She stopped crying.  Yay."

"Yeah."

"She must have missed you."  His face pulled into a pout.  "She loves you more than me."

Nico snorted.  "She does not," he said even as Chiara reached up to pap his cheeks with her chubby hands.  "She just knows that I'm the one that feeds her."

"Still, I'm kinda jealous."  Will chuckled, pushing a quick kiss to her cheek and then to Nico's.  "I wanna be a super dad, too."

Nico smiled, holding his daughter in one arm and wrapping his other around his husband.  "Then you can get the diapers next time."

**Author's Note:**

> Chiara means "Light" in Italian. "Chiara di Angelo" literally means "Light of Angels" and if that doesn't freaking scream the child of Solangelo then idk what does.
> 
> tumblr; [ghostystarr](http://ghostystarr.tumblr.com/)


End file.
